Chapter 1389

Kinetic weapons, unrivaled in dominance!

Night!

Forge Master Society.

Peruoqiqiya's firearm designs, as samples, would be displayed within the Forge Master Society for other forge masters to observe and study, of course with Peruoqiqiya's own consent.

But no one expected that by dawn, the Forge Master Society had been breached, and Peruoqiqiya's firearms had been stolen!

The night-watch forge masters reacted quickly, but by the time they chased after the thief, it was already too late. They could only reluctantly report the incident.

Upon hearing the news, the head of the Huoerde Society flew into a rage, berating the night-watch forge masters, then immediately rushed to the City Lord's mansion to wake Wu Hongtian and give him a detailed account of the firearm's terrifying power.

Wu Hongtian had been furious at first, but once he understood just how terrifying the firearm was, as described by the head of the Huoerde Society.

He caved. If such a weapon were seized and widely adopted by the Empire's other hostile powers, it would be a catastrophic blow to the Empire.

Fortunately, the report came in time, and with the head of the Huoerde Society and other elders jointly inscribing ancient runes onto the firearms that prevented them from being stored in space rings, Wu Hongtian took immediate action.

When the city gates opened the next morning, the Western Kingdom spies who had planned to smuggle the firearms out were immediately exposed, and a minor skirmish broke out.

In the end, the soldiers of Stone Fortress City still failed to retain the firearms; as the enemy prepared to flee the city, a squad leader made a grim decision and destroyed the firearm outright. The enemy, caught off guard, could only hastily flee with fragments and parts.

The remaining parts were recovered by the soldiers.

Wu Hongtian naturally scolded these useless fools thoroughly afterward; fortunately, the enemy had not escaped with a complete firearm — this, at least, was a stroke of luck amid misfortune.

But what day is today!

It just so happens to be the day Imperial Prince Li Jian comes to visit Lin Cheng.

This incident occurred in the morning, and naturally reached Li Jian's ears. Upon learning the firearm's capabilities, his expression turned icy as he vowed to report it to the Emperor and make General Wu Hongtian pay dearly.

Wu Hongtian, the General of Divine Might, had never been a supporter of his; now that he had caught him in a blunder, he would definitely file a formal accusation!

Even if he couldn't convict him, he'd make him suffer.

Lin Cheng's Forge.

Imperial Prince Li Jian had rushed over originally for the matter of the magic-crystal internal combustion engine, but now he had something far more urgent.

He asked Lin Cheng whether there was any way to counter the firearm, or to forge an even more powerful one!

After Wu Hongtian's investigation, it was preliminarily confirmed that the thief who stole the firearm was a spy from the Western Kingdom. Even though the firearm's structure had been shattered, it could only delay the Western Kingdom's forge masters for a time — once they studied it thoroughly, they would inevitably replicate the firearm. Upon hearing this, Imperial Prince Li Jian's face darkened with worry.

In contrast, Lin Cheng appeared remarkably calm.

"Lin Cheng, what should we do? Should we imprison that prince first and interrogate him for the firearm's technology?"

"No need," Lin Cheng felt this was going too far.

It's just one flintlock rifle — is this really worth such an overreaction?

"But…" Li Jian seemed to have more to say, yet since Lin Cheng had spoken so confidently, he must have a plan.

Li Jian turned his gaze directly to Lin Cheng and asked:

"Do you already have a solution?"

Lin Cheng smiled and waved his hand, signaling not to worry.

"Your Highness, don't be overly concerned. Even if their forge masters manage to replicate it, the firearm's greatest weakness remains the ammunition."

"To be frank, ammunition production is extremely difficult. There are two types: conical and granular. The former requires a Gao Jie forge master to forge, and the process must be meticulous — any slight mistake renders it unusable; the latter is far weaker, but can be made by a mid-tier forge master."

"Secondly, the flintlock rifle's range is extremely limited — roughly 200 meters. As for accuracy, it's only effective within 50 to 100 meters, even worse than some longbows' arcing shots, which can reach around 300 meters."

"Even if the Western Kingdom wanted to mass-produce them, they'd need tens of thousands of mid-tier forge masters working year-round. Never mind whether they even have that many forge masters — a single war would consume many times more ammunition than firearms. Could the Western Kingdom possibly wage more than one war per year?"

Even if they somehow equipped every soldier with one, Lin Cheng wouldn't let it go unchecked — he'd pull out black-tech in an instant.

Thinking this way, it didn't seem like a real problem at all.

By the time they finally managed to build it, he'd strike back technologically — just imagining it felt satisfying!

"Your Highness, let's return to the matter of the magic-crystal internal combustion engine. With it, we can accomplish far more."

"Lin Cheng, are you truly certain their development will be filled with difficulties?" Li Jian still felt uneasy, but Lin Cheng was utterly confident.

"Of course — no one but me can solve those problems!"

"The second-generation magic-energy internal combustion engine has been fully improved. I've heard the Imperial Capital is the first test city — what are your plans? Which areas will you prioritize for improvement?"